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Karhu Fills Essential Category: First Telemark Binding to Combine Active Downhill Power, Release, and Touring Function

Karhu presents the 7tm Power Tour. The first Telemark binding that combines active downhill power, a DIN Certified release and incorporates an efficient touring function.


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Burlington, VT, March 13, 2006 – Karhu presents the 7tm Power Tour. The first Telemark binding that combines active downhill power, a DIN Certified release and incorporates an efficient touring function. The 7tm Power Tour binding addresses the need for the big-mountain, backcountry telemark skiers.

Beginning in Fall 2006, Freeheel skiers will no longer have to choose between downhill performance, releasable safety, and a free-pivot tour function. The new 7tm Power-Tour is the only binding to offer these functions in one complete package. For two-years, Karhu has won praise for its revolutionary 7tm Tour binding, the first Telemark binding to combine a free-pivot tour function with the safety of a DIN-certified releasable binding.

According to Karhu’s General Manager, Charlie Lozner, “The enormous success of the 7tm Power led us to develop a 7tm Tour with more downhill performance. The new 7tm Power-Tour is thirty-percent more active than the original Tour bringing the performance to the same level as the Power. With the new downhill performance, and the only DIN Certified releasable binding, there is no reason to compromise one’s safety by choosing another binding. ”

Bruce Tremper’s book, Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, further illustrates the need for a releasable binding: “Always wear releasable bindings. The human body is about three times as dense as flowing avalanche debris, and as such, it tends to sink. Imagine jumping into whitewater rapids with a snowboard or skis attached to your feet and holding onto poles and you’ll realize why it’s so important to get rid of them if you get caught in an avalanche.”

The 7tm Power Tour will replace the 7tm Tour in Karhu’s product line for 2006/2007 and will begin shipping in Fall 2006. Karhu will also offer a Power Tour Upgrade Kit for skiers who purchased the 7tm Tour during the previous two winters. The Upgrade Kit includes two new tension straps and two power pins along with detailed instructions for making the switch. The upgrade kit will be available in Fall 2006.

As with the 7tm Power, users of the new binding will be able to choose between active performance and a more neutral feel by pulling the power pin out of the binding.

About Karhu: Over the past 30 years, Karhu has offered revolutionary products, such as the first XCDâ„¢ Backcountry skis, the first Widetrakâ„¢ Touring skis, the Sweeper Winter Trekking skis, and the Omnitrakâ„¢ waxless base. These innovations have pushed Nordic performance to new levels. Into the future, Karhu will continue to aggressively develop and promote key areas of growth in Telemark, Backcountry and Nordic skiing.